Coin container



Dec. 20, 1966 5, (:QLELLA 3,292,779 7 COIN CONTAINER Filed May 1, 1964 I NVENTOR.

60 4/ /rec/ 5 C 0 le/la 43 BY 441 7114 United States Patent 3,292,779 COIN CONTAINER Alfred S. Colella, 1310 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina, Calif. 91790 Filed May 1, 1964, Ser. No. 364,145 3 Claims. (Cl. 206.82)

This invention relates generally to coin containers and relates more particularly to the type of containers generally termed coin tubes.

While the invention has particular utility embodied in coin tubes such as are used by coin collectors and dealers, and is shown and described thus embodied, it is to be understood that its utility is not confined thereto.

Many of the coin tubes presently used are cylindrical and difliculty is encountered in keeping them in place when they are placed on a flat surface, such as a table, desk, or the like. These cylindrical tubes will roll on such flat surfaces and may roll off the surface and onto the floor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coin tube that overcomes this diificulty.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a coin tube that will remain in place when laid on a fiat surface, and will not roll thereon.

It is still another object of the invention to provide coin tubes of this character that have a plurality of flat sides so that they will not roll when placed on a desk, table or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide tubes of this character that may be readily stacked and when stacked will occupy a minimum of space.

A still further object of the invention is to provide tubes of this character that have covers that are easily and releasably secured thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide tubes of this character having pockets or receptacles for slips of paper or other material with information thereon relating to the coins in the tubes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide devices of this character comprising a multisided jacket with a bore therein for reception of cylindrical tubes or tubes of other configuration.

A further object of the invention is to provide devices of this character that are simple in construction.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide devices of this character that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufiiciently referred to in connection with the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, which represent certain embodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons will understand that variations may :he made without departing from the principles disclosed and I contemplate the employment of any structure, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a coin tube embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1 but without the cover or cap;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternative arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the device or arr-angement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end view of a plurality of the devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 stacked;

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FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the tube or device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of another alternative arrangement; and

FIG. 10 is a side view, partially in section of the cylindrical tube of the arrangement of FIG. 9.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, ther is shown a coin tube, indicated generally at 15, comprising a body 16 having a plurality of flat sides. In this arrangement the body has three flat sides, in other words, said body is triangular in cross sectional shape. There is acylindrical neck 18 at one end and from the outer or upper end of neck 18 a bore 20. extends longitudinally through the neck and body. However, said bore 20 is closed at the lower end by a wall 22, FIG. 3. A bayonet slot, indicated generally at 24, is provided in the outer side of the wall of neck 18, said slot having a diagonally inclined part 26 which extends from the upper free end of the neck 18. The lower end of the diagonal slot portion 26 joins one end of the horizontal portion 28 of the bayonet slot.

A cover, indicated generally at 30, is provided for the device and said cover is also triangular in shape. In one end of the cover 30 there is a recess 32 large enough to slide snugly over the neck 18. Within the recess 32 is a nib or small projection 34 which extends into said recess and is adapted to be slidably received within the bayonet slot 24. When attaching the cover said cover is so oriented relative to the body that the projection 34 will enter the upper open end of the diagonal portion 26 of the bayonet slot and as the cover moves downwardly onto the neck 18 said cover will rotate on said neck until the projection 34 has entered the horizontal portion 28 of the bayonet slot and reached the closed end thereof. At this time the cover is so oriented relative to the body that the sides of the cover are in the same plane as the sides of the body 16.

Because of the flat sides of the tube, it may be placed on a flat surface or the like and will not roll. Further, should it be desired to stack a plurality of the tubes, they may be arranged in any suitable manner, an example of stacking of the tubes is shown in FIG. 6. It is to be understood, of course, that these tubes may be stacked higher than shown in FIG. 6 and the stacks may be longer.

Referring to FIGS. 4 .and 5, there is an alternative arrangement wherein the body of the tube is indicated at 40. The tube body is provided with longitudinally extending pockets or hollow portions 42 which are closed at their inner ends by the arcuate wall portion 44 of a central part that has a bore 46 therethrough. The central portion has parts between the arcuate portions 44 that are integral with the side walls 48 of the body 40, as indicated at 50. The upper end of the central portion is cylindrical and forms a cylindrical neck 54 similar in character to the neck 18 of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The pockets 42 are closed at their lower ends by end walls 56 and a cap or cover, such as cover 30 shown in FIG. 1, may be used on the neck 54 of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The cover 30 thus not only closes the upper end of the longitudinally extending bore 58 which extends longitudinally through the central portion of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5, but also closes the upper open end of the pocket 42. It is to be understood, of course, that the lower end of the bore 58 is closed by an end wall 60. The size of the bores in these tubes depends on the coins to be placed therein.

In the arrangements shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the body, indicated generally at 70, of the tube, also has a plurality of flat sides, there being six sides shown in this arrangement. device may have any other suitable number of sides, such as five, seven, eight, and the like.

This arrangement also has a neck, indicated at 72, which is provided with the same number of sides as the body 70, said neck being of smaller cross sectional shape than the body and having a peripheral external groove 74 in the sides thereof. There is a bore 76 which extends from the upper end of the neck through the neck and body but the lower end of said bore is closed by a wall or bottom, not shown.

In FIG. 8 there is shown a cover, having an upper end ,78 that is of the same shape and size as the body and depending from the wall 78 is a hexagonal flange 80 defining a recess 82 in which the neck 72 is adapted to be removably received. Within the recess 82 there are projections 84 which, when the cover is fully disposed on the neck 72, are received within portions of the groove 74. As shown there are oppositely arranged projections from opposite sides of the cover and these projections are adapted to releasably secure the cover on the neck 72. The cover also has peripheral external grooves 86 to provide a better grip thereon when placing the cover on the neck 72 or removing said cover therefrom.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9 and there is a body 90 having a longitudinally extending bore 92 therethrough. The bore 92 is open at both ends and within said bore 92 the main portion 94 of a coin holding tube 96 is received. The coin holding tube is pressfitted into the bore 92 so as to be frictionally retained therein. Tube 96 is provided with a cylindrical interior 98 which is closed by a bottom wall 100. At the upper end of the tube 96 there is a reduced diameter neck 102 for removable reception of a cover or cap 104. There may also be an exterior bayonet slot in the neck 102 and the cover may have a projection within it for slidable movement within the bayonet slot.

Thus the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 include what may be termed the jacket portion 90 and the coin holding tube portion 96. The jacket being of triangular or other flat-sided configuration prevents the device from rolling on a flat surface.

The various arrangements herein disclosed and described not only provide coin tubes that will not roll but these tubes may be readily stacked in a minimum space.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore described being merely by way of example, and I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.

It is to be understood, of course, that the I claim: 1. In a coin holder:

(A) a body having a plurality of flat sides, there be- 1 ing a coin receiving passage extending longitudinally in said body from one end, said passage being closed at the other end by an end wall;

(B) a neck of reduced diameter at said one end defining a part of said passage;

(C) said neck having an external bayonet groove therein extending from the free end of said neck, said groove including a downwardly and circumferentially inclined portion and a peripheral portion with one end of which the lower end of the inclined portion connects, the other end of said peripheral portion being closed; and

(D) a cover fitting onto said neck and having an in-,

temal recess with a projection therein slidably receivable in the bayonet groove, said cover having the same external shape as the shape of the body, and the projection being so oriented that when at the closed end of the peripheral portion of the groove the sides of the cover lie in an extension of the planes of the sides of the body,

(B) said body having at least one longitudinally extending pocket therein, said pocket being spaced outwardly from the coin receiving passage in said body.

2. The invention defined by claim 1, wherein said pocket is closed at one end and open at the other end.

3. In a coin holder:

(A) a body having a plurality of sides and a coin receiving passage extending longitudinally from one end, said passage being open at one end, the opposite end of said passage being closed, there also being at least one pocket extending longitudinally in said body in outwardly spaced substantially parallel relation to said passage; and

(B) means for closing the open end of said passage, said means being removable to provide access to said passage. 2

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 550,157 11/1895 Burns 215-44 2,476,155 7/1949 McKelvy 21546 2,753,081 7/1956 Hobson 220-63 3,135,566 6/1964 Frank 2060.82 3,244,272 4/1966 'Beam et al. 206-082 FOREIGN PATENTS 653,884 5/1951 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A COIN HOLDER; (A) A BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF FLAT SIDES, THERE BEING A COIN RECEIVING PASSAGE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID BODY FROM ONE END, SAID PASSAGE BEING CLOSED AT THE OTHER END BY AN END WALL; (B) A NECK OF REDUCED DIAMETER AT SAID ONE END DEFINING A PART OF SAID PASSAGE; (C) SAID NECK HAVING AN EXTERNAL BAYONET GROOVE THEREIN EXTENDING FROM THE FREE END OF SAID NECK, SAID GROOVE INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY INCLINED PORITON AND A PERIPHERAL PORTION WITH ONE END OF WHICH THE LOWER END OF THE INCLINED PORTION CONNECTS, THE OTHER END OF SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION BEING CLOSED; AND 